How the Push for Sustainability Is Changing the Tech Industry

What price are people willing to pay for the convenience of technology? Not just the retail price but the costs of using a smartphone at the expense of environmental health? 

As customers demand sustainability from corporations, some wonder how tech companies can support the cause with innovative product design without changing anything about consumers’ love affair with their electronic devices and the environment.

As the leader of a sustainable mobile device protection manufacturer, BodyGuardz, I’ve seen firsthand how sustainability has the power to redefine the tech industry. Sustainability is core to what I do and at BodyGuardz, we’ve learned how to innovate with sustainable materials without compromising our products’ durability and performance. Leaders in tech would do well to look into sustainability not just for their customers but for the planet.

Sustainability begins with an unyielding company commitment, which drives product innovation and community initiatives. But first, it helps to understand what drives customer loyalty.

Change Starts With Understanding the Consumers’ General Attitude Toward Sustainability

The general attitude about what it means to support sustainability varies among consumer groups. 

In a recent study my company, BodyGuardz, conducted, we asked mobile phone users about the importance of using sustainable materials for their smartphones. Only 33 percent of respondents said it was important to them, and 29 percent stated they didn’t care.

However, consumers were clear in their expectations for tech companies to do their part to support sustainability with initiatives that reduce their carbon footprint and expand environmental and climate change initiatives. 

Recent market research on consumer trends reported that 79 percent of consumers feel brands have the resources to make a difference in the causes they believe are important. Furthermore, over half (64 percent to 67 percent) of those surveyed follow a brand’s efforts to promote social responsibility. 

Essentially, consumers want brands to use more company resources to support issues that are important to the consumer and use their platform to promote change. In reality, tech companies can focus on enhancing the customer experience by offering a more sustainable solution without sacrificing quality.

Tech Companies Face Tough Decisions in Support of Sustainability

To move forward, let’s look at where we stand now.

The World Health Organization estimates that consumers produce around 63 million tons of electronic waste globally annually. It states, “One of the main contributors to this growing e-waste problem is the rapid growth of smartphones and other mobile devices,” adding that “In 2018, e-waste accounted for 58% of all global waste generated by humans.”

From March to September 2022, Apple launched or updated several products and devices. Apple sold around 235 million iPhones in 2021, and Samsung exceeded that number by selling 270 million smartphones. As we observe an industry that produces new devices faster than we can update our contact lists, how will tech giants support sustainability without impacting customer loyalty? 

In the spirit of climate change, a shift toward environmentally friendly products and services requires companies and consumers to align production and expectations, even if that potentially impacts the customer experience. 

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Meet the New Look of Sustainability in the Technology/Electronics Industry

A natural response to thwart e-waste in landfills is to produce longer-lasting products, such as stronger batteries and recycled materials. In my company’s study, 69.5 percent of our respondents showed concern about the environmental impact of discarding their old smartphones.

One of the big choices tech companies may face is adjusting their devices’ life expectancy and design while maintaining a profitable business model. According to a Deloitte Insights article on smartphone sustainability, “Longer smartphone lifetimes could reshape how the smartphone industry generates revenues and profits.”

As mentioned earlier, tech companies have an apparent self-interest in getting their customers to update their tech as often as possible. So they focus on reducing energy consumption while using the device and their company operations and downplay the environmental cost of making more devices. 

Perhaps the most impactful adjustment is innovation in the product design phase. According to researchers at McKinsey, “Companies have long known that design decisions determine most of a product’s manufacturing, operating, and maintenance costs. The same logic applies to sustainability.”

Around 88 percent of our survey respondents believe product durability is important. Along with minor design adjustments, tech giants like Apple promote material recycling with a new product redesign and packaging.

In a progress report released in 2022, Apple announced that over half (59 percent) of shipped Apple products now used recycled aluminum for some of their shipping enclosures, with a commitment to remove all plastic from their packaging by 2025. Nearly 20 percent of Apple’s product materials were recycled in 2021. 

Such innovation allows companies to continue producing updated products at a pace that rivals 5G speed while reinforcing their platform in support of sustainability causes. That’s great news for the environment and a solid score for good business practices. 

The Cost of Commitment Doesn’t Always Add Up

Research shows that 88 percent of consumers “check the sustainability of a product before at least some purchases.” That is until the economy takes a hit.

Researchers at Deloitte Insights found that between September 2021 and March 2022, the number of consumers who bought sustainable product options declined because of cost. So the proverbial plot thickens for brands developing sustainable products. 

People need technology. But consumers at all income levels also want to support climate-friendly initiatives to save the environment without making difficult decisions about costs. So the question here isn’t about how sustainability expectations change the tech industry. Instead, we should ask what we need from them.

Consumers want tech companies to continue innovating their commitment to designing sustainable yet durable products. But for lasting change, we need them at an affordable price.